Detachable mounting device for pallet-tiering frames

ABSTRACT

A pallet-tiering frame having two opposed pairs of spaced vertical posts carrying a top member therebetween at their upper ends is detachably mounted to a pallet by telescopically slidably engaging the vertical frame posts with guide rods secured to the opposite ends of each of a pair of elongated bar members which are slidably received between the deck boards of the pallet and positioned adjacent to the outer stringers thereof. Each pair of guide rods is spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the length of the pallet stringers so as to extend upwardly immediately adjacent the associated corners of the pallet and to restrain movement of the bar members when installed.

United States Patent 10S/53 108/53 IOS/53 g frame having two opposed pairs mw a m w e.m Pb

u ek DS 00 67 99 ll 63 0 7 7 0 0 5, 3

2,932,477 4/l960 Franks......... 2,942,826

Primary Examiner-Bobby R. G Assistant Examinere-Glenn O.

ABsTnAc'rmanet-rierin Robert L. Marcheso Flanders, NJ.

[2l] Appl. No. 53,748

July 10, 1970 [45] Patented Sept. 28, 1971 Stor-Dynamics Corporation Paterson, NJ.

[72] Inventor [22] Filed [73] Assignee PATENTEU SEP28 lBl F IG. 2

I N VENTOR. Qosenr L. MARcHsso TTRNEYS' DETACIIABLE MOUNTING DEVICE FOR PALLET- TIERING FRAMES vBACKGROUND AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to pallet-tiering frames, and relates more particularly to certain new and useful improvements in provisions for detachably engaging such frames to pallets of conventional construction.

making provisions for detachably mounting such frames to the pallets has also been previously recognized.

Heretofore, however, the provisions for detachably mounting pallet-tiering frames to pallets have required the pallet to be empty in order to mount the tiering frame thereto, or have been complicated to manufacture and therefore commercially impractical, and/or have been complicated or awkward of secure to the pallet. lt is desirable for pallet-tiering frames to be capable of easy and quick installation on both loaded and unloaded pallets by a single workman, and yet not subject to accidental displacement when installed, and not easily damaged when in storage. Thus, the prior proposals for detachably engaging tiering frames to pallets have been disadvantageous in that they have been subject to one or more of the foregoing deficiencies.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a pallettiering frame having new and improved means for detachably engaging a pallet.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved detachable mounting device for detachably mounting a pallet-tiering frame to a pallet which eliminates the aforementioned disadvantages and shortcomings of prior pallettiering frame mounting constructions.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved detachable mounting device for detachably mounting a pallet-tiering frame to a pallet, which is easily and quickly in stalled on either loaded or unloaded pallets, which is not subject to accidental displacement, and which is of simple, rugged construction.

Objects and advantages of the invention are set forth in part herein and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly described, the present invention is directed to a new and improved detachable mounting device for detachably r mounting a pallet-tiering frame to a pallet of conventional construction. As preferably embodied, the detachable mounting device comprises a pair of elongated bar members which are adapted to be slidably received between the deck boards of the pallet and positioned adjacent to the outer stringers thereof, each of the elongated bar members having a pair of guide rods secured to the opposite ends thereof, each pair of guide rods being spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the length of the pallet stringers so as to extend upwardly immediately adjacent the associated corners of the pallet to thereby restrain movement of the bar members when installed.

Thus, a pallet-tiering frame having two opposed pairs of spaced vertical posts carrying a top member therebetween at their upper ends is detachably mounted to the pallet by telescopically slidably engaging the associated guide rods of the elongated bar members.

lt will be apparent from the foregoing general description that the objects of the invention specifically enumerated herein are accomplished by the invention as herein embodied.

Thus, it will be seen that the detachable mounting device may be installed with equal facility on both loaded and unloaded pallets by simply slidably inserting the pairs of elongated bar members between the deck boards of the pallet.

Advantageously, the elongated bar members are in the form of channel beams and the guide rods are fixedly secured to one side of the beam channel. The beam is then inserted between the deck boards by turning it so that the guide rods are horizontal therewith and is thereafter turned so that the guide rods extend upwardly, perpendicular to the deck boards upon installation. Alternatively, one or both of the guide rods may threadedly engage the elongated bar or channel beam members so as to be removably affixed thereto, in which case the elongated bar or channel beam members may be installed by merely unscrewing one guide rod, inserting the bar in an upight position, and replacing the previously removed guide ro When the elongated bar members and guide rods are in place it will be readily seen that they cannot be accidentally displaced and it will also be readily seen that they are of a rugged, simple construction, not subject to being easily damaged.

It will be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description as well are exemplary and explanatory of the invention but are not restrictive thereof.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view, partly in section, of a pallet-tiering frame adapted to be detachably secured to a pallet of conventional construction by a detachable mounting device embodying the present invention, the view illustrating a tiering frame having two opposed pairs of vertical post members adapted to telescopically slide onto guide rods extending upwardly from the opposite ends of a pair of channel beam members slidably received between the deck boards of the pallet and positioned adjacent the outer stringers thereof; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating one of the channel beam members of the detachable mounting device shown in FIG. l.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularly to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-2 of the accompanying drawing, there is illustrated a suitable pallet-tiering frame, indicated generally by the reference letter A, in position for being detachably secured to a pallet of conventional construction, indicated generally by reference numeral 10, the latter having parallel stringers ll and upper and lower platforms comprised of spaced deck boards l2, 13, respectively.

Tiering frame A may suitably include two pairs of opposed spaced, vertical posts or uprights 15, 16 and 17, 18, respectively, which carry a top member 19 at their upper ends which lies in a plane parallel to the surface of the pallet when the posts are secured thereto, more fully described hereinafter.

Advantageously, top member 19 may be constructed in the manner described in my copending application Ser. No. 835,476 filed June 23, 1969, incorporated herein by reference, so as to be laterally adjustable.

ln accordance with the invention, the pallet-tiering frame A is detachably mounted to the conventionally constructed pallet 10 by detachable mounting means which comprises a pair of elongated bar members slidably received between the deck boards of the pallet and positioned adjacent to the outer stringers thereof, each having a pair of guide rods secured to the opposite ends thereof and spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the length of the pallet stringers.

To this end, and as here preferably embodied, there is provided a pair of channel beam members 25, each having a pair of rods 25a, 25b secured to the opposite ends thereof. Advantageously, rods 25a, 25b are secured to one side of the beam channel and, when installed, the base 25e of each channel beam is positioned closely adjacent, and preferably in contact with, the inner surface of the outer stringers l1.

As preferably embodied, guide rods 25a, 25h are fixedly secured to the channel beam 25, as by welding, and each beam is installed by turning it until the guide rods are parallel to the deck boards l2, 13 of the pallet and thereafter sliding the beam through the deck boards. When both of the guide rods are clear of the deck boards, the beam is then turned until the channel base 25e` is parallel to the inner surface of the stringer 1l. Each beam is then preferably positioned so that the base 2SC is closely adjacent or in contact with the inner surface of the stringer ll, whereupon the guide rods 25a, 25h extend upwardly adjacent the associated corners of the pallet and are closely spaced from the respective end deck boards.

Alternatively, one or both of the guide rods 25a, 25b may be removably fixedly secured to the channel beams 25, as by threaded engagement, whereupon the beams are installed by removing one of the guide rods and thereafter sliding the beams between the deck boards 12, 13 with the channel base 25e of each beam maintained parallel to the inner surface of the associated stringer 11 until the remaining guide rod contacts or is closely spaced from one of the end deck boards of' the pallet. Thereafter, the removed guide rod is threadedly secured to the beam adjacent the opposite end deck board of the pallet. l

ln accordance with the invention, the vertical posts or uprights, l5, 16, 17, 18 of the pallet-tiering frame A are detachably secured to the pallet l by telescopically slidably engaging the guide rods 25a, 25b secured to the opposite ends of each of the pair of channel beam members 25. To this end, and as here preferably embodied, uprights l5, 16, 17, 18 are of tubular construction, as shown at 20, and have an inside diameter slightly larger than the outside diameter of rods 25a, 25h.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific embodiment herein shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims, without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What is claimed is:

l. ln a detachable mounted tiering frame for use with pallets or the like, including two opposed pairs of spaced vertical posts which are detachably secured to the pallet adjacent each of the corners thereof at their bottom ends and carry a top member therebetween at their upper ends so as to lie in a plane parallel to the upper surface of the pallet when said posts are secured to said pallet, the improvement therein which comprises:

detachable mounting means including a pair of elongated bar members adapted to be slidably received between the deck boards of the pallet and positioned adjacent to the inner surface of the outer stringers of said pallet, each of said elongated bar members having a pair of upwardly extending guide rods secured to the opposite ends thereof, said guide rods being spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the length of said pallet stringers; and

said vertical posts comprise tubular members whose inside diameters are slightly larger than the outside diameter of said guide rods,

whereby said tiering frame is detachably mounted to said pallet by telescopically engaging said vertical posts with said guide rods.

2. A detachably mounted tiering frame as defined in claim l, wherein said elongated bar members comprise channel beams, said guide rods are secured to one side of the channel of each of said beams, and the base of the channel of each of said beams is positioned closely adjacent to the inner surface of the outer stringers of said pallet.

3. A detachably mounted tiering frame as define in claim l, wherein said guide rods are fixedly secured to said elongated bar members.

4. A detachably mounted tiering frame as defined in claim l, wherein said guide rods are removably fixedly secured to said elongated bar members.

5. A detachably mounted tiering frame as defined in claim 2, wherein the base of the channel of each of said beams is positioned in contact with the inner surface of the outer stringers of said pallet. 

1. In a detachably mounted tiering frame for use with pallets or the like, including two opposed pairs of spaced vertical posts which are detachably secured to the pallet adjacent each of the corners thereof at their bottom ends and carry a top member therebetween at their upper ends so as to lie in a plane parallel to the upper surface of the pallet when said posts are secured to said pallEt, the improvement therein which comprises: detachable mounting means including a pair of elongated bar members adapted to be slidably received between the deck boards of the pallet and positioned adjacent to the inner surface of the outer stringers of said pallet, each of said elongated bar members having a pair of upwardly extending guide rods secured to the opposite ends thereof, said guide rods being spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the length of said pallet stringers; and said vertical posts comprise tubular members whose inside diameters are slightly larger than the outside diameter of said guide rods, whereby said tiering frame is detachably mounted to said pallet by telescopically engaging said vertical posts with said guide rods.
 2. A detachably mounted tiering frame as defined in claim 1, wherein said elongated bar members comprise channel beams, said guide rods are secured to one side of the channel of each of said beams, and the base of the channel of each of said beams is positioned closely adjacent to the inner surface of the outer stringers of said pallet.
 3. A detachably mounted tiering frame as defined in claim 1, wherein said guide rods are fixedly secured to said elongated bar members.
 4. A detachably mounted tiering frame as defined in claim 1, wherein said guide rods are removably fixedly secured to said elongated bar members.
 5. A detachably mounted tiering frame as defined in claim 2, wherein the base of the channel of each of said beams is positioned in contact with the inner surface of the outer stringers of said pallet. 